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Edicts of Ashoka – Pul-i-Darunta Edict

A few years before 1932, a broken stone tablet carrying an inscription was procured in the neighborhood of Pul-i-Darunta in the Lamghan area. This inscription slab is now housed in Kabul museum. The inscription is popularly known as Lampaka inscription, where Lampaka is now identified with modern Laghman, on the northern bank of Kabul river near Jalalabad in Afghanistan.

Prof. Morgenstierne made the discovery known to the academic circles in Europe. H Birkeland was the first one to edit this epigraph. He dated it to Achaemenid period. F Altheim attributed it to Ashoka. W B Henning confirmed this attribution.

English translation by W B Henning

(1) …. living beings fattened [? with other living beings] (5th PE)…. be…. to men ….
(2) In accordance with ‘to be….’. (9th RE ?)
(3) It is not good. (3rd PE)
(4) In accordance with ‘of this purpose’. (4th RE)
(5) There was ….. to see.
(6) In accordance with ‘to be seen’. (3rd PE)
(7) In accordance with ‘of Devanampiya anointed’. (13th RE)
(8) In accordance with (in many it) own. (5th RE)
(9) There were orders to be written on pillar (s of stone… these injunctions which) we have known (for the benefit of those who will come) after us. (5th RE)

English translation by N P Rastogi

…..living being fattened (with other living beings)…..be….to men.. In accordance with ‘to be….’. It is not good……In accordance with ‘of this purpose’. There was ….. to see.In accordance with ‘to be seen’. In accordance with ‘of Devanampiya anointed’. In accordance with (in many it) own. There were orders to be written on pillars (of stone… these injunctions which) we have made known (for the benefit of those who will come) after us.

English translation by B N Mukherjee

(1) [No?] living [is to be] fattened [with other living beings ?]
(2) ….To be to people (i.e. existing people)……..,
(3) …….To be seen – it is said- not (good) ………
(4) [….increase] of this object (i.e. practice of Dharma) – it is said – (caused) to increase …..,
(5) ….. to see, to be seen – it is said ……,
(6) …. Of (meaning ‘by’) the Beloved of the Gods [when] consecrated [for eight years] – it is said ……,
(7-8) ….. in [outlying] towns – it is said [.] [All these instructions] were set (or put) to write (or writing on pillar (s) [so that] they were (i.e. would be) made known [to] whoever were (i.e. would be) descendants [.]